Maple Sausage Lentil Soup

I love soup and even though I eat it all year long, these next couple of months are made for having soup on a regular basis. My husband particularly loves a recipe I’ve been making for years. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not the prettiest soup I’ve ever seen, but it is certainly the most delicious … and inexpensive. It utilizes ordinary brown lentils that are probably one of the best values in the supermarket. The ingredient that really makes it sensational is the maple sausage. That slightly sweet hint of maple flavor teamed with the onions, carrots, stock and lentils combines for soup magic. Grab a loaf of crusty bread and you really don’t need anything else. I promise you will reach for this recipe over and over again. Soup’s on!

 Maple Sausage Lentil Soup

Yield: 6 servings

1 pound ground maple pork sausage
4 (14-ounce) cans vegetable stock
1 (1-pound) bag lentils
1 white onion, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown and crumble the sausage. Stir in the stock, lentils, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer one hour, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add water if the soup looks dry. Serve hot.